Normally, solid olefin polymers, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, are known to be subject to oxidation. Oxidation of the polymers causes crosslinking and other undesired changes in the polymer. To alleviate this problem, certain antioxidants or stabilizers are conventionally included in such olefin polymers.
One of the most widely used stabilizers for olefin polymers, and particularly polyethylene, is 2,6-ditertiarybutyl-4-methylphenol. While this stabilizer is quite effective in protecting olefin polymers, and in particular polyethylene, it has a shortcoming in that under certain conditions of storage it causes yellowing or discoloration of the polymer. The yellowing of the polymer is particularly objectionable in film applications, where for the end use it is usually desirable to have the film as transparent and as color free as is possible.